Ancient Anglican

When the very Wisdom of God came down and dwelt among us, he (unfortunately) didn’t teach as a systematic theologian, rather whenever someone would ask him a question, he would respond with “Let me tell you a story.”

In many ways, sloth is the other side of gluttony, since in satisfying our desires we neglect our duties to others.

Gluttony is the inordinate indulgence in food or drink. Sloth is the neglect of our duties.

This evening we are looking at the sin of Pride and Jesus’ reparation for that sin from the cross in his quotation of Psalm 22 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?).

Pride is the excessive belief in one’s own abilities that interferes with the individual’s recognition of the grace of God. It is traditionally seen as the sin from which all other sins arise for in Pride we put ourselves in the place of God. 

Lust is defeated in sacrifice and in finding a higher love than the flesh. It is defeated in the words “Woman, behold your son . . . son, behold your mother.”

Lust is the inordinate love of the pleasures of the flesh, usually, but not necessarily, of a sexual manner. 

Sheen contrasts the sin of envy with the virtue of the pity that the righteous thief on the cross had for Christ.

In the theological sense, envy is not a type of jealousy or covetousness where we desire something that someone else has; rather envy is a sadness at another’s good (Aquinas), a love for the misfortune of a neighbor (Dante), or pain at the sight of good fortune (Aristotle).   

This week’s discussion is on anger and Christ’s words from the cross “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Because sinful anger results from ignorance, it is the virtue of forgiveness that overcomes the sin of anger. 

When we began Ezekiel, the prophet is in exile sitting by the River Chebar and had a vision of the Glory of God leaving the Temple in Jerusalem.  The readings this week open with the vision of a rebuilt and restored Temple and the return of the Glory of God to the Temple, filling it.